Machine for stapling bags



2 Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

R. H. LITTLE.

MACHINE FOR STAPLING BAGS.

Patented Jul WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

w: Norms pz-rzas cu., FHOTO-LITHKL, WASNINGYQN, n. c.

2 SheetsS heet 2.

(No Model.)

B. H. LITTLE.

MACHINE POE STAPLING BAGS.

Patented July 29, 1890.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT II. LITTLE, OF CYPRESS RIVER, MANITOBA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD P. DONNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR STAPLING BAGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,247, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed June 13, 1889- Serial No. 314,079. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT 11. LITTLE, of Cypress River,.in the Province of Manitoba and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Staplin g Bags,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for stapling bags and sacks, and

has for its objectto provide a machine of simple and durable construction and convenient of manipulation by hand, and also capable of expeditiously and effectively stapling a bag or sack with wire in the form of staples.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby one movement of a lever will cause the staples to be formed and a second movement accomplish the forward feed of the wire and the driving of the completed staple.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification,in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 00 a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a similarsection taken on the line .2 .2 of Fig.1. Figs. 5, 6,

and 7 are sectional views of the die and elevations of the shaping finger and hammer operating in connection with the die, illustrating the formation of a staple and the manner of driving the same. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the folds of a bag, illustrating the manner in which they are clamped by the staple when the operation is completed. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a portion of the grip and feed har,illustrating the manner in which the wire is clutched by the same when being fed forward to form another staple. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail View, illustrating the manner in which the grip and feed bar is laterally reciprocated.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the dog operating in connection with the laterally-reciprocating feed and grip bar, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the feed-tubes adapted to guide the wire from the feed and grip bar to the die.

In carrying out the invention the frame of the machine consists, usually, of two side pieces 10, connected at the top by a cross-bar 11 and at the rear by a cross-bar 12. A second rear cross-bar 12-3 is located at the upper end of the frame and connected with the upper or top cross-bar 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

To the front edges of the side pieces 10 of the frame, at the upper portion of the same, a series of spaced transverse detachable bars 14 are located, which bars are properly spaced and secured to the side pieces of the frame, preferably by means of a set-screw at each end, as illustrated at 15 in Fig. 1.

In the several detachable cross-bars 11 and in the rear upper cross-bar 13 a series of spindles 16 are journaled in such manner that the spindles upon one cross-bar will alternate with the spindles upon the next upper bar, and upon each of the said spindles aspool17 7 5 is mounted adapted to carry a wire thread or ribbon 1S. Tension is exerted upon the spools by coiling a spring 19 around each spindle, hearing at one end against the spool and at the other end against the cross-bar, So the latter end being preferably secured to said bar. It will be observed that by reason of this construct-ion, should the spools become empty, so that others are to be inserted upon the spindles, the empty spool or spools are removed by detaching the front cross-bars 14 from the frame. 4

To the inner face of each of the side pieces 10 of the frame, at or near the bott01n,an arm 20 is pivoted, which arm is curved upward and rearward from its pivotal point forward to the front of the frame and vertically upward, as illustrated .at A and-A in Fig. 2. Each of the curved arms 20 is connected at its upper end by a rod or bar 21, which constitutes a handle to facilitate the manipulation of the arms. The arms are further connected and braced by a series of intermediate rungs or bars 22.

Near the bottom of the main frame the ends I00 of a transverse die-carrying bar 23 are rigidly secured, the said bar being preferably located at the extreme forward portion of the frame, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. This die-carrying bar is provided upon its upper face with a series of transverse grooves arranged .in pairs, each groove being adapted to receive a die 24, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. Each set of dies, which dies are illustrated in detail in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are provided upon their opposed or contiguous faces with a longitudinal groove near the bottom, a transverse slot 26 in the upper face located at or near the center, and a diagonal groove 27, which connects the slot 26 with the groove 25, the said groove 27 being made to extend rearward from the slot 26, as best illustrated in Fig. 5, in which it will also be observed that the groove 27 is much wider at its point of intersection with the groove 25 than at its intersection with the slot 26, whereby a shoulder 28 is produced, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The wall of the diagonal groove 27 at its intersection with the slot 26 is preferably curved or made cylindrical, as shown at 29 in Fig. 6. These several sets of dies are clamped to the die-carrying bar 23 by causing a clamping-bar 30 to be in contact with their upper faces, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of which bar are rigidly secured to the side pieces of the main frame, and the two bars 23 and 30 are further connected by means of a series of bolts 31 passing through them, having nuts screwed upon their projecting ex; tremitie s, or a nut upon one extremity of each, and a head integral with the other.

Upon the upper face of the clamping-bar 30 a series of spaced hooks 32 are secured, (illustrated in Fig. 2,) which hooks are adapted to hold the bag or sack that is to be stitched. The preferred manner of securing these books 32 to the machine consists in passing the bolts 31, binding the two bars 23 and 30 together, through them.

A finger-carrying bar 33 is held to slide in the side pieces of the main frame, near the' back of the same, and grooves 34, formed in the side pieces, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the extremities of the said finger-bar travel, are so located that the finger-bar will be essentially in horizontal alignment with the several dies 24, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The body of the finger-bar is preferably rectangular in cross-section, and its extremities are reduced and made to pass through an elongated slot in the curved arms 20, whereby the outward movement of the said arms will not, interfere with the lateral movement of the finger-bar, which movement is communicated to it by the outward and inward throw of the arms. The finger-bar has attached thereto, preferably by means of set-screws, a series of shaping-fingers 35. These fingers extend in a horizontal plane forwardly from the'finger-bar, and are so located upon the said bar that as it is moved forward one fin- 'of the recess therein.

ger will slide between the opposed dies of each set, as illustrated in Fig.

The fingers 35 are peculiarly shaped, being recessed at the outer end to provide a hook 37, and to the under forward face of each finger a hammer-bar 38 is rigidly secured, consisting of a hat plate of metal of suitable thickness, rigidly secured at its inner end to the'under face of the finger, just to the rear The forward end of the plate constituting the hammer is made to extend outward, preferably to a point in vertical alignment with the outer end surface of the hook 37, as is shown in Fig. 2 and enlarged in Fig. 5.

The plate 38, constituting thehainmer which drives the staple when formed, is of greater width than the finger, as the longitudinal edges of the said plate are adapted to travel in the longitudinal grooves 25 of the dies.

Between the center of the frame and each side piece 10 of the same a vertical standard 39 is located, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which standards project above the clamping bar 30 and are provided in their outer faces, near the upper end, with a longitudinal recess 40. The two standards are connected, preferably, by a rod 41, the ends of which are introduced into the side pieces 10 of the frame. These standards are secured in the perpendicular position illustrated by passing the lower ends thereof through the clampingbar 30 and the die-carrying bar 23, and securing upon the end projecting beyond the latter bar a suitable form of lock-nut, as best illustrated in Fig. 1.

WVith reference to the finger-bar 33, a series of cutters 42 is detachably secured upon it, one cutter being located near each finger 35, extending forward parallel with the finger, as illustrated in Fig. 3. These cutters are so arranged upon the finger-bar 33 that when the said bar is carried forward a cutter will essentially come in contact with the outer face of, for instance, the left-hand die of each set to sever the wire into proper lengths, as

will be hereinafter described.

A grip and feed bar B is held to travel in the recess of the standards 39. This feed and grip bar is illustrated in front elevation in Fig. 1, and in detail, enlarged section, in Figs. 9 and 10, and comprises three sections an upper section 43, a lower section 44, and an intermediate section 45. The upper and lower sections 43 and 44 are connected by a series of bolts 46, each bolt being made to pass through a longitudinal recess 47 formed in the intermediate section, whereby while the upper and lower sections are connected the intermediate section is capable of having a lateral sliding movement imparted thereto. Each of the sections 43, 44, and is pro vided with a series of apertures 48, through which the wire 18 passes from the spool to the die, and the apertures in the sections are so arranged that one set of apertures will be beneath each of the spools 17. The said apertures in the sections are further arranged in such manner that when the intermediate section 45 is in its normal position each set of apertures will be in vertical alignment or registry.

A guide-tube 4!) is provided for each set of dies. This guide-tube is curved, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 12, and is constructed, as will be observed by reference to the latter figure, with a similarly-curved plate integral with one side. The tubes are secured in position by bolting the plate 50 orotherwise attaching it to the eonnecting-rod 41 of the standards, while the lower end of the plate 50 is bolted to a post or stud 51 formed upon the upper surface of the die-carrying bar 23.

The guide-tubes 19 are so arranged that the upper end of a tube will be immediately under one set of apertures 48 in the grip and feed bar, the other or lower end of each tube being placed immediately opposite the slot 26, for instance, in the left'hand die. Thus as the wire is fed downward from the spool through the tube, as will be set forth in the operation, it is fed into a slot 26 of a die and made to lie in the path of the shaping-finger 35 traveling in that set of dies.

The several sections of the feed and grip bar are held normally in such position that the wire-apertures 48 will be in vertical alignment, which is accomplished by means of a coil-spring 52, located at or near the center, one end of said spring being secured to the upper section 43 and the other end to the intermediate section 45, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The ends of the several sections of the feedbar B are secured in one member, which may be termed the horizontal member, of an angled lever 53, one of the said levers being fulerumed upon each side piece 10 of the frame, as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 1, the vertical member of each lever being adapted for engagement with a pin 55, projected from the outer face of each of the curved arms 20. As the said levers 53 are rocked, the several sections of the feed-bar B are made to travel vertically in the recess e0 of the standards 39. Each lever 53 is normally held in such position that the member to which the feed-bar is attached will be in a horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a spring 51. The intermediate section 15 of the feed and grip bar B extends beyond the left-hand lever' 53, as shown in Figs. 4 and 1.0, and is adapted for contact with a dog 56, (illustrated in detail in Fig. 11,) which dog is pivoted to the side pieces 10 of the frame, as shown in said Fig. 4. The head of the dog, or its contact-surface, is inclined. To each side piece 10 of the frame, between the bottom and the center of the same, near the front, an angled arm 57 is fulcrumed, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, said angled arms being connect-ed by a beam 58, which beam is ad j ustably held upon the said arms, and upon the horizontal section of one or both armspreferably onea segmental block or pulley 59 is rigidly secured, having a groove in its cylindrical periphery, which surface normally faces the rear of the frame.

Upon the upper outer edge of the block 59 one end of a rope or chain 60 is attached, the other end being secured to one of the curved arms 20. The beam or bar 58 is adapted to serve as a mandrel-block, against which the staples are driven and clinched, and to that end the lower side of the block is provided with a series of cavities O1, arrangedin pairs, as shown in Fig. 7, the cavities being so located that when the mandrel-block is brought downward into working position one set of cavities will be opposite the space intervening each set of dies. The movement of the mandrel-block is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Below the die-carrying bar 23 a latch 62 is fnlcrumed, at or near its center, upon the inner face of each of the side pieces 10, being normally retained in a horizontal position by its upper surface, near the rear end, being in contact with a pin 63 inserted in said side pieces. The rear end of the latch is made tapering, and is adapted to be acted upon by a pin 64., projected horizontally outward from each of the curved arms 20. The head of the latch extends normally upward, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and is adapted for engagement with a pin 65, integral with the pivotal arms of the mandrel-block, when said block is in working position.

In order to register the number of bags stapled, I provide three dials having toothed peripheries, as illustrated at D, D, and D in Fig. 1, the lower dial being turned one tooth at each movement of the curved arms 20 by a dog (36, pivoted upon the said arms, and the said dial, after making one revolution by means of an attached pin, turns the next upper dial one notch, and the intermediate dial, when it has made one revolution, in similar manner turns the upper dial. The lower dial represents units, the intermediate tens, and the upper hundreds.

It will be readily understood that the dials are not necessary to the perfect operation of the device.

In operation, the machine being in its normal position, (illustrated in Fig. 2,) and the wires having been passed down through the feed-apertures in the grip and feed bar, and the bag having been placed upon the hooks 32, when the connected curved arms 20 are moved forward, the pins 55 thereon strike the angled levers 53 and force the sections of the grip and feed bar downward, and as the said bar is thus forced downward at the commencement of said movement the projecting end of the central section 45 comes in contact with the inclined face of the dog 56, asillustrated in Fig. 10, whereby the said central section is forced inward to the position illustrated in Fig. 9, and the wire-apertures therein are carried out of alignment with the apertures in the'outer sections, thereby kinking the wire to some extent or gripping it, so that in the upon the wire.

into the slot 26 of each set of dies.

full downward movement of the bar B a hold will be obtained upon the wire and the wire will be carried downward with the bar. As the wire is thus carried downward,itis forced through the tubes 49, and as the several strands of wire are carried downward at the same time the end of each strand is forced When the feed-bar B has passed the dog 56, the intermediate section is returned to its .normal position by the spring 52, and when the levers 53 are released the feed-bar is capable of traveling upward without exertin g tension As the arms are carried forward, the rope or chain 60 is slackened and the mandrel-block drops by gravity to a contact with the outer folded surface of the bag to be stapled. The ends of the wire are not passed through the slots 26 of the die until the hook end of the fingers is slightly past the slot, and as the fingers travel forward the cutters attached to the same bar with said fingers are'also advanced and sever the wire close to the left-hand die of each set. This being the first movement of the machine, a

staple is not driven upon the forward movement of the arms 20. As the arms are carried back the receding fingers grasp the wire spanning the dies through which they travel and draw the wire downward through the diagonal slot 27, as shown in Fig. 5, and as the wire is thus drawn downward it is bent to staple shape, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Vhen the staple has reached the shoulder 28 in the die, the finger will have almost released it, and the said staple falls downward into the longitudinal groove 25. Upon throwing forward the curved arms 20 again the mandrel-block falls down, as formerly stated, into contact with the bag, another wire is fed into each of the dies, and the head of the latch 62 is forced upward by the pin 64 coming in contact with its rear end and embraces or comes in contact with the pin 57 upon the mandrel-block arms, thus rigidly holding the block in position to receive the staple. The staple is then driven through the longitudinal groove 25 through the bag, and the ends are clinched uponthe mandrelblock by the forwardly-traveling hammerplate's secured to the fingers, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and as the staple is thus driven the wires laid upon the dies are severed, while with the receding or rearward movement of the arms 20 the wire thus laid in each of the dies is formed into a staple, which staples are all driven upon the next forward movement of the arms. Thus the operation proceeds indefinitely.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a series of fixed dies arranged in pairs,

and a wire-feeding mechanism, of pivoted connected arms, a bar laterally actuated by said arms, and fingers secured to the said bar providedwith a hook at the forward end, said fingers being arranged to travel between the dies of each set, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a series of fixed dies arranged in pairs, provided with a transversely-slotted upper face and diagonally-grooved inner or opposed faces, and a wire feeding mechanism, of a pivoted frame, a bar carried by said frame, and a series of fingers attached to said bar having a hook-shaped forward end, one finger being adapted to slide between the dies of each set, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a series of fixed dies arranged in pairs, provided with a transversely-slotted upper face and diagonally-grooved inner or opposed faces, and a wire-feeding mechanism, of a pivoted frame, a bar carried by said frame, a series of fingers attached to said bar, having hook-shaped forward ends, one finger capable of traveling between the dies of each pair, and a series of cutters attached to said bar, one near each finger and capable of traveling near the outer face of one die of each pair, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a series of fixed dies arranged in pairs, provided with a transversely-slotted upper face and diagonally and longitudinally grooved inner or opposed faces, and a wirefeeding mechanism, of a pivoted frame, a bar carried by the said frame, a series of fingers attached to the said bar, having hook-shaped forward ends, a ham mer-plate rigidly secured to the forward end of each finger, a series of cutters secured to the said bar, one near each finger, and a grooved anvil-block connected with the pivoted frame and adapted for contact with the forward end of the several dies, all combined for operation, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a series of fixed dies arranged in pairs, provided with a transversely-slotted upper face and diagonally and longitudinally grooved inner or opposed faces, and a wirefeeding mechanism, of a pivoted frame, a bar carried by said frame, a series of fingers attached to said bar, having hookedforward ends, a hammer-plate rigidly attached to the forward under surface of each finger, cutters attached to said bar, one near each finger, a series of hooks rigidly supported above the dies, an anvil-block connected with the pivoted frame and adapted for contact with the forward ends of the several dies, and a latch capable of locking the anvil-block in such contacting position, the said latch being operated upon by the pivoted frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a stapling-machine, the combination,

with a frame, connected arms pivoted in said frame, stationary dies, arranged in pairs, secured to the frame, and fingers carrying a hammer-plate operated by the said arms adapted to slide between the dies of each pair, of a series of wire spools or reels journaled in the frame, an angled lever pivoted to each side piece of the frame adapted for engagement with the said pivoted arms, standards secured between the pairs of dies, having a recessed forward face, a grip and feed bar held to slide Vertically in said standards, comprising two connected outer sections and an intermediate section capable of lateral reciprocation, the ends of the said feed and grip bar being attached to the said levers, and the bars provided With a series of registering apertures to receive the wires from the spools, and a dog pivoted to one side piece of the frame, adapted for contact with the end of the intermediate section of the feed and grip bar, all combined for operation, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a stapling-machine, the combination, with a frame, connected arms pivoted in said frame, stationary dies, arranged in pairs, secured to the frame, and fingers carrying a hammenplate operated by said arm s, adapted to slide between the dies of each pair, of a series of wire spools or reels journaled in the frame, an angled lever pivoted to each side piece of the frame, adapted for engagement by the said pivoted arms, standards secured between the pairs of dies, having a recessed forward face, a grip and feed bar held to slide vertically in said standards, comprising two connected outer sections and an intermediate section capable of lateral reciprocation, the ends of the said feed and grip bar being attached to the said levers and the bars provided with a series of registering apertures to receive the wire from the spools, a dog pivoted to one side piece of the frame, adapted for contact with the end of the intermediate section of the feed and grip bar, an anvil-block pivoted to the frame and connected with the pivoted arms, adapted for contact with the forward ends of the dies, and a pivoted lat-ch adapted to be acted upon by the curved arms and capable of locking the anvil-block in contact with the said dies, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of the die having the transverse hole or opening 26 and the longitudinal groove 27, with the shaping-finger 35, having the'hook 37, whereby the wire sections are formed into staples, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the die it, having the feed-hole 26 and longitudinal grooves 27 and 25, with the hooked bar 35 and hammer or driver 38, substantially as specified.

10. The swinging mandrel or clinching-bar 58, in combination with the locking hook or catch 62, constructed and operating substantially as described.

11. The combination of the die 2i, having the feed-hole 26, grooves 27 and 25, with the finger-bar 35,11ammcr or driver 38, and mandrel 58, substantially as described.

ROBERT H. LITTLE.

\Vitnesses:

W. WILLIAMs, O. H. CARBONNEAU. 

